At the very moment the spirit was swallowed, it felt as though drinking a cup of poison that seeped through the intestines—Mr. Da He's body instantly tilted and collapsed, trembling violently, his face displaying an extreme mix of madness and agony. The official pilgrims stationed nearby swiftly retrieved their tools and prepared for action; should the steward suffer a mental breakdown, they would immediately subdue him and notify the Hangzhou branch. Their response was not exaggerated—such incidents had occurred on multiple occasions. When the Night Wandering Deity consumed a spirit, the reversal effect was particularly severe, and after three or more such events, a mental collapse was inevitable. Of course, there was no need for excessive concern—once the steward was subdued and transferred to the Hangzhou branch, the branch would summon the Day Wandering Deity to purify the contamination. With cautious vigilance, the official pilgrims waited. Gradually, Mr. Da He's spasms and tremors subsided, and then his facial distortions and madness began to fade. "Officer..." The subordinate scout had barely opened his mouth when the river of water suddenly sat upright, his expression conveying shock, fear, and excitement, his voice trembling as he said, "Immediately notify the Hangcheng branch—Six Elders of the Southern Sect have returned to the Spiritual Realm. One Master... has returned to the Spiritual Realm." Six Elders of the Southern Sect? Was the male corpse lying in the room one of the Six Elders of the Southern Sect? The official practitioners present were stunned, nearly doubting their own hearing. They were standing right at the site where a Master had perished—yet a Master had quietly passed away here without any severe casualties? The river's flow gently massaged his brow, calming his turbulent spirit while speaking rapidly, "He wasn't killed by Yuan Shi Tian Zun. He was slain by a Siming. Before that Siming arrived, Yuan Shi Tian Zun had already entered the hall alone for over a minute. Do you think—if the figure in the hall wasn't the Sixth Elder of the Nan School—would the Siming have needed to be involved? Would Yuan Shi Tian Zun have needed to feign as the victim and enter disguised?" By this point, the official travelers had fully accepted their superior's assessment, though their expressions remained deeply astonished. "Yuan," one female traveler suddenly became animated and enthusiastic, "Yuan Shi Tian Zun came to avenge himself. He came to avenge the assassination. Heaven's sake, he actually killed the master of the Nan School!" The serious scout shook her head. "The main force should have been the Siming. Yet Yuan Shi Tian Zun's presence in such a pivotal battle—his strength still surpasses our expectations. Truly, he is the foremost among the Masters beneath the rank of Sovereign." "As he had just finished speaking, the river-water of solemn demeanor remarked in an utterly unusual tone, 'No, the entire hunting process lasted only two minutes. When the Fate-Weaver arrived, the battle was nearly over—Master Yuan-Shi was the true main force of this operation.' The atmosphere instantly fell silent. A wave of astonishment and awe surged once more. The female traveler who had spoken earlier murmured, 'This is not even the first person beneath the Sovereign's dominion.' This is a Saint capable of defeating the Sovereign. How terrifying! This sense of awe transcends factional loyalties—it is the most fundamental emotional impact. After a while, the river-water finally calmed down, regained composure, and a smile appeared on his otherwise serious face: 'Master Yuan-Shi is a prodigy—there is no need to gauge his depth. To us, what truly brings joy is the return of the Southern Sect elder to the Spiritual Realm.' The Jiangnan Province is a stronghold of the Southern School, where officials often find themselves constrained and hesitant due to the presence of these powerful masters. It's not uncommon for extraordinary beings or sages to be unexpectedly killed while carrying out official duties simply because they provoke the masters. The Sixth Elder was killed in Liangzhou, which was one of his more active territories—thus, the actions of Yuanshǐ Tianzun effectively serve as a protective shield, clearing potential threats. This is a matter of direct consequence to the lives of countless people, a truly significant benefit. Moreover, whenever a master from the Evil Faction perishes within the jurisdiction—regardless of whether they have a direct connection to the officials—it counts as a notable achievement and a performance bonus. Scholar Liu Hongzhi exclaimed excitedly, "I'll immediately call the Hangzhou branch." He first picked up a stack of Shenneng Scroll to examine its properties: 【Name: Shenneng Scroll】 【Type: Scroll】 【Function: Refine the Soul】 【Description: This scroll was crafted by an ancient illusionist specialist, specifically designed to target the soul. The six scrolls function as a single unit and must all be simultaneously destroyed to eliminate the item. When unfurled, the scroll forms an invulnerable barrier that prevents the soul from escaping. The chains formed by the scroll can bind and transmute the soul.] 【Note 1: As a scroll of the evil school, prolonged use will gradually transform the user's nature, leading them to embrace the path of evil.] 【Note 2: Each time it is used, it will burn the soul—use it with care.] Ah, how troublesome it is to have such a powerful item from the realm of evil... Zhang Yuanqing felt both delighted and troubled. He was delighted by the strength of the prize, yet troubled by its cost. This cost of transformation is nearly impossible to mitigate, because it is not a negative status condition—it remains unaffected by the purifying power of the Sun God. Only someone promoted to a day-wanderer could possibly avoid this cost. Once you truly become a night-wanderer, who would even use it? Moreover, the cost mentioned in Note 2 is likely beyond what he can bear at this stage—being a master of a key artifact, his very soul would be scorched, rendering him effectively useless despite his life. Zhang Yuanqing set down the Ling-Shen Scroll and gently touched the robe, glowing with a warm, earthy hue. He sank both knees, on the spot performing a gesture of returning to his roots for the Master of the Stopping the Kill Sect. His shoulder bones cracked, and vital organs ruptured under the heavy pressure. Hey—this isn't armor a Saint could wear... Zhang Yuanqing struggled to lift his hand, gripping the edge of his robe and pulling it back into his inventory. "Heh..." He collapsed directly onto the ground, looking at the Master, who was gently smiling and covering her mouth. "Sister, this robe is yours." The musician was frail and particularly needed defensive gear, while the Life-Weaver, a profession skilled in producing life essence, had strong self-healing capabilities and wasn't particularly affected by the "heavy pressure" cost of the robe. The Master, supporting her head, nodded—this robe proved very useful to her. Zhang Yuanqing then produced the little red hat, pouring out a pile of materials and Federation coins. "These are the payment from the King of the Underworld. You'll receive your share, though the master-level materials have now been used up. These six Spirit-Refining Talismans are also yours." This had been agreed upon from the beginning—after capturing the King of the Underworld, the But Zhang Yuanqing had already used up all the master-tier materials, so he planned to compensate with the Spirit Refinement Scroll. He was well aware that having more master-tier items wasn't always better—given his own standing, the cost of equipment for lawful-aligned professions was already staggering, let alone for chaotic ones. Zheng Sha, the Palace Master, first stored the Earth Spirit Robe in her inventory, then summoned the Spirit Refinement Scroll to check its attributes, and chuckled lightly. "I don't want this at all. I find that using it brings more drawbacks than benefits. You keep it yourself, or sell it to the Five Elements Alliance." Zhang Yuanqing frowned. "But I no longer have anything to offer you." The value of master-tier items was simply too high; he indeed had nothing left to compensate. The Palace Master tilted her head, thoughtfully, and said, "How about this—spend the night with me. That will settle everything." Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the graceful figure beneath the red dress, removing his clothes as he spoke, “This isn’t quite right, Lady of Zhishi. I do have a girlfriend… but it’s only natural to repay debts. If the money falls short, then the body steps in. Just wait a bit—within five minutes, I’ll finish bathing.” Five minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing lay on the soft hotel bed, gazing at the ceiling, full of disappointment: “Lady of Zhishi, I see now you wanted to sleep in plain attire. I should have known that and skipped the bath altogether.” Beneath the white sheets, he was tied tightly like a dumpling. Lady Zhishi leaned into his arms, gently stroking the firm lines of his face, sighing, “When you were born, I used to stroke your face just like this. Now you’ve grown up—now you know how to stroke your sister’s bottom.” That’s precisely why Zhang Yuanqing had been tied up—because he had touched the curves of her buttocks. “I’ve just used the Mask of Faces and the Thunder God Seal, and my emotions are a bit unstable,” Zhang Yuanqing explained to himself. The Master of the Stop-Kill Palace gently brushed her fingers over his face, shifting the topic completely, saying, "Your mother wants to take you overseas. Since she hasn't been able to reach you, she came all the way to me." Zhang Yuanqing's lingering hopes faded instantly, and he replied with irritation, "Give me a solid reason to leave my home and homeland." The Master of the Stop-Kill Palace looked at him for a while, but said nothing further. Zhang Yuanqing scoffed, "You must be in regular contact with her—was it you who told her my spiritual realm ID? So, what exactly is your mother's reason for going abroad?" The Master of the Stop-Kill Palace gently pinched his nose, "What do you think?" "At first, I thought it was about safety—avoiding danger. But now I'm not so sure." Sitting close to the warm, soft body, Zhang Yuanqing said, "If she's afraid of her enemies coming after her, then she's actually a failure—because she didn't bring me, didn't bring my grandparents, my aunt, or my uncle's family." "If Ling Tu really shows up, it'll be a complete wipeout—our eggs will be shaken to the yolks, and even our ant colonies will be burned clean. As the esteemed leader of the Night Rose, she surely doesn't lack moral integrity. Chen Shu's choice to quietly evade danger, on the other hand, must surely make her a real heel. After Zhang Yuanqing finished speaking and waited for the Stop-Killing Palace Master's explanation, he was instead met with a light chuckle. The woman wrapped her arms around his waist, rested her thigh on his chest, and smiled sweetly, saying, 'Then let her be a heel—let's go to sleep, let's go to sleep.' Zhang Yuanqing, unimpressed by the lack of explanation, felt somewhat displeased but couldn't help but sigh. 'Master, could you please move your leg a bit?' 'Why?' 'You're pressing on my head.' 'You young fool, haven't you used that leg on several women before?' 'It's just been freshly bathed—still pure and untouched. If you'd like to tarnish it, please go ahead.' 'It's too small for now. Let's wait a few more years.' The two were whispering softly in the dark, close enough to feel each other’s warmth, their intimacy slowly building while maintaining an invisible line of vigilance. As they spoke, the Master of Zhishā Palace suddenly said, "I'll sing you a song. When you were little and cried easily, I used to sing to you. You'd stop crying the moment I started." "Completely forgotten," Zhang Yuanqing replied. "It sounds like you're making it up." The palace master gave a little huff. "You weren't even developing your intelligence back then—of course you wouldn't remember." She began to hum a gentle, flowing melody, soft and soothing, like a breeze gently brushing through. As the rhythm of the song slowed, Zhang Yuanqing's eyelids grew heavier and heavier, until he drifted into sleep. In his dreams, he murmured a soft phrase. The song paused, and after a while, the palace master softly responded with a "hm." After the other had finished, the Dog Elder said, "I'm aware of this matter. He indeed has a strong desire for vengeance, and he's managed to avoid affecting ordinary people—so it seems he has handled it quite well." The High Peak Elder remained silent for a moment, "You weren't involved, were you? How can you be confident he'd manage such a clumsy undertaking?" Though the action was ultimately successful, in the view of the steady, earthy earth spirit, Yuan Shi Tian Zun's actions were too hasty and illogical—any mistake would mean a return to the spiritual realm. The Dog Elder sighed, "The Commander has already lent him the Tiger Seal. What more could I be concerned about? Still, this young man has grown so far—he's now capable of eliminating a Sovereign. Truly remarkable." "The Commander lent him the Tiger Seal?" The High Peak Elder suddenly raised his voice, astonished, "That's impossible." The Dog Elder replied calmly, "There's nothing impossible about it—just bow a few times, and it becomes natural." "What do you mean?" "Nothing really. After all, the sixth elder of the Southern Sect was indeed killed by Yuan Shi Tian Zun. You can confidently report this "The Dog Elder said, 'The folks at headquarters will find out about this—no idea what they'll feel.' After speaking, he lifted his paw and tapped the screen, ending the call. ... It was just before dawn when the official account of the Hangzhou Branch posted an announcement on the forum."